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What General Information Do I Need To Know About This Position?
Salary: $75,515 (Step 01) to $98,176 (Step 10); NOTE: First time hires to the Federal Government are typically hired at the Step 01.
There are two vacancies; however, this announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies if they become available.
Learn more about this agency12/04/2019 to 01/03/2020
$75,515 - $98,176 per year
GS 11
FEW vacancies in the following location:
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Occasional travel - Occasional travel on 1-10 nights per month may be required.
No
Term - This is a term appointment not to exceed 13 months with possible extensions up to a total of 4 years without further competition. Appointment to this position will not convey permanent status in the Federal service.
Full-Time
Competitive
15 - The full performance level for an EDGE position is GS-15; however, promotion eligibility is dependent upon the scientific contributions of the incumbent as evaluated by a peer panel.
No
No
SAC-2020-0061
553335600
As an Electronics Engineer (Instrumentation) in the National Innovation Center (NIC) within the Geology, Minerals, Energy, & Geophysics Science Center, some of your specific duties will include:
Operationalizing the next generation of sensors on USGS and NASA Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS).
Application of algorithms to efficiently collect sensor data.
Hangar flight-testing of UAS.
Field testing of new systems.
Field deployment of new systems for agreed upon critical missions.
Drive government vehicles as an incidental driver.
Physical Demands: Lab and hangar work will require work from tall ladders and scaffolding, as well as physical exertion including recurring bending, crouching, stooping or similar activities. Field assignments require considerable dexterity, agility and strenuous physical exertion such as that needed to climb, work in areas where footing is treacherous such as slippery river banks, in steep or rocky terrain and in fast-moving water. Field work may be carried out for several months at a time in remote locations and sometimes involves hiking over long distances (over 10 miles) with heavy loads (up to 40 pounds) and in high elevations. Fieldwork may involve exposure to a range of extreme weather and temperature conditions, such as hot and humid weather, cold temperatures, wind, wet arctic and sub-arctic conditions, and marine environments. Fieldwork is conducted on land, in the air and at sea. Must be able to lift heavy objects weighing over 40 pounds or more.
Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position
For information on basic qualifications, which includes information on whether you may substitute education for specialized experience, please click on the following: https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/human-capital/electronics-engineer-gs-0855.
In addition to the basic education requirements listed in the link above, if you are qualifying based on specialized experience, you must meet the following requirements: One year of professional engineering experience defined as nonroutine engineering work that required and was characterized by (1) professional knowledge of engineering; (2) professional ability to apply such knowledge to engineering problems; and (3) positive and continuing development of professional knowledge and ability. To be creditable, this professional engineering experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service and it must have equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled.Examples of GS-9 level work may include: (1) conducting preliminary investigations and analyses relating to site selection and systems integration in connection with systems installations; (2) preparing design criteria for smaller or less complex electronic equipment portions of facilities; (3) developing technical data for formal specifications regarding materials, sizes, dimensions, quantities and costs; (4) designing and constructing electronic systems and components. The work was of a conventional nature, but often required consideration of and selection from several alternative approaches or solutions to problems to arrive at the best treatment from a technical standpoint and sometimes required substantial adaptation of standardized guides and criteria. Critical or overriding problems were referred to a higher authority for guidance or decision.
*You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the position by the closing date of the announcement.
Identification of promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. Promotion will depend upon administrative approval and the continuing need for and performance of higher-level duties.
Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
Under Executive Order 11935, only United States citizens and nationals (residents of American Samoa and Swains Island) may compete for civil service jobs. Agencies are permitted to hire non-citizens only in very limited circumstances where there are no qualified citizens available for the position.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
--Basis of Rating: Category rating will be used in the ranking and selection process for this position. The quality categories are Best Qualified, Well Qualified, and Qualified. If you meet the basic qualification and eligibility requirements of this position, you will be contacted via email after the vacancy announcement closes and given 7 calendar days to submit narrative responses that address the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to perform the duties of this position. You will be rated and ranked based on the information you provide in your resume as well as the responses you submit to the required KSAs. Veterans' preference rules for category rating will be applied. The knowledge, skills, and abilities required for this position are as follows:
1. Ability and knowledge to define, develop, and evaluate complex instrumentation and measurement systems for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). This includes the ability to execute systems engineering practices to meet mission-specific milestones in the delivery of the completed instrumentation system. Please describe relevant experience and training, including completed projects and your role.
2. Ability and knowledge to define, develop, and evaluate data processing systems requirements for specialized instrumentation packages deployed on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). This includes the ability to execute systems engineering practices to meet mission-specific milestones in the delivery of the completed instrumentation package. Please describe relevant experience and training, including completed projects and your role.
3. Ability to apply expert knowledge in management of complex instrumentation systems as applied to maintaining operational capability in the deployment of UAS. Please describe experience in maintaining and deploying UAS and successfully acquiring data under varied conditions.
4. Ability to develop, design, and evaluate data processing systems requirements of UAS instrumentation deployment and to create or modify software to meet requirements for UAS operation and robust data acquisition and processing. Please describe experience with development and modification of software to support processing of instrument data streams.
--NOTE: If it is determined that you have rated yourself higher than is supported in your description of experience and/or education as described in your resume/application, or that your resume or application is incomplete, you may be rated ineligible, not qualified, or your score may be lowered.
--This position requires specific educational course work to qualify. You are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) or list of course work, which includes semester hours earned and grade received, by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration. This proof may be faxed, document uploaded, or hand delivered to the servicing Human Resources Office (see "Required Documents" and/or "Contact Information"). Please ensure that all documentation is legible.
--If you are claiming veterans' preference you must provide a legible copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, member 4 copy or any official documentation or statement from the Armed Forces that confirms your dates of service and that your separation, discharge, or release from active duty was under honorable conditions (i.e., Honorable or General Discharge). Note: If you have more than one DD-214 for multiple periods of active duty, submit a copy for each period of service.
--If you are currently on active military duty, you must provide documentation (e.g., campaign document, award citation, etc.), that verifies entitlement to veterans’ preference and that your character of military service is honorable.
--If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, in addition to the documents specified above, you must also submit documentation that supports your claim, e.g., an official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs (dated 1991 or later) or from a branch of the Armed Forces certifying the existence of a service-connected disability, or the award of the Purple Heart, etc. The overall rating must be identified on your certification letter or separation orders.
--Documentation must be received by the closing date shown in this vacancy announcement. If you fail to submit any of the required documentation, you will not be granted veterans’ preference. Additional information on veterans' preference can be found in the VetGuide.
--If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, the Servicing Human Resources Office must receive proof by the closing date of this announcement that you meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330 Subpart F for CTAP and 5 CFR 330 Subpart G for ICTAP or you will not receive priority consideration. This includes a copy of the agency notice, your most recent Performance Rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Required documents may be faxed, uploaded, or hand delivered to the servicing Human Resources Office (see "Contact Information"). If you are a CTAP or ICTAP eligible, you will be considered well qualified if you earn a minimum score of 85 (prior to the assignment of veteran's preference points). For more information on CTAP/ICTAP please click here.
--Required documents may be: 1)faxed to the Agency Contact (see "Contact Information") 2)uploaded directly from your desktop 3)uploaded directly from your USAJOBS stored attachments 4)hand delivered to the servicing Human Resources Office (see 'Contact Information').
--Auto-Requested Fax: allows you to submit required documentation that will be electronically displayed along with your resume.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
--Applications (resume and application questions) for this vacancy must be received on-line via USAJOBS BEFORE midnight Eastern Time (Washington, D.C. time) on the closing date of this announcement. If you fail to submit a complete online resume, you will not be considered for this position. Requests for extensions will not be granted. Most libraries, employment offices, and all USGS personnel offices can provide access to the Internet. If applying online poses a hardship for you, you must speak to someone in the Servicing Human Resources Office listed on this announcement PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE for assistance.
--Instructions for Applying Online for this Vacancy Announcement: 1)Click the blue "Apply Online" button. 2)If you are not a registered USAJOBS user, please create a new account and follow the instructions to complete your application process. If you are a registered user, login to access your existing USAJOBS profile. 3)As a registered user, select a stored resume and select one or more of your stored documents to attach to your application. 4)Check the "Certification" box and click the "Apply for this position now!" button located at the bottom of the screen. 5)Address the eligibility questions as well as the questionnaire containing questions and/or task statements that address the knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies for this vacancy. 6)Submit required documents using one of the available methods listed below. 7) If you experience technical difficulties during the online application process, please contact the USAJOBS helpdesk.
--If you meet the basic qualification and eligibility requirements of this position, you will be contacted via email after the vacancy announcement closes and given a period of time to submit narrative responses that address the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to perform the duties of the position. Then, if you are rated as one of the most highly qualified candidates, you will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. We expect to make a selection within 45-60 days of the closing date of this announcement. You will be notified via email of the outcome. You can also go to "My Account" within USAJOBS to review your Application Status.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/553335600. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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